Details of all Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland supported productions coming to screens this year were published at a briefing held by the agency today, along with industry highlights from 2018, ambitions, and priorities for 2019.

Following a rebrand from Bord Scannán na hÉireann/ the Irish Film Board to Fís Éireann/ Screen Ireland in 2018, the agency set out its redefined, broadened remit, which has been driven both by the changing and diverse nature of the industry and audience content consumption. Screen Ireland is responsible for funding and promoting Irish film, TV and animation internationally, for skills development, and for promoting Ireland as a film location.

Screen Ireland also announced its plans to drive changes across the industry, linking future funding allocations to a number of key driving principles– equality, diversity and inclusion, career & skills development, dignity in the workplace, and climate and sustainability – incentivising and rewarding positive change and supporting the industry in a continued and sustained era of growth.

Key Statistics

The Olsberg/SPI report, published last June, confirmed that 12,000 people are now employed in the film, television and animation production, up from 6,000 in 2008.

Overall production activity is estimated to have increased on 2017 figures of €286 million in terms of spend on job and local good and services in the Irish economy. 2018 figures will be released shortly.

In 2018, Screen Ireland invested€13.7 million across 50 projects, including 21 feature films, generating approximately €40 million return to the Irish exchequer, in terms of spend on local jobs and services.

The agency’s funding continues to be restored by Government, and for 2019 it has been allocated €16.2million in capital funding, up from €14.2 million in 2018.

With the Government committing last year, for the first time ever, to a long-term commitment to film culture with a funding allocation of€200 million between 2018 and 2027 – together with a growing global demand for content – the industry is poised to continue to increase and expand the significant economic and social contribution it makes to Irish society.

As a result of ongoing efforts to support increased female participation for the last number of years 2018 was a breakthrough year for Irish women in film and animation with many firsts celebrated. Irish female talent also marked many firsts from a critical perspective in 2018.

Nora Twomey was the first Irish female director to have a debut feature film nominated for an Academy Award and the first ever female solo director to win Best Independent Animated Feature at the Annie Awards;

Emer Reynolds was the first Irish female documentary director to win an Emmy Award;

Carmel Winters was the first Irish female to take home the prestigious FIPRESCI Prize for the Discovery Programme at TIFF.

The number of funding applications with female writers and directors has increased significantly.

Production funding decisions with female directors increased from 20% in 2017 to 36% in 2018,

Production funding decisions with writers increased from 20% in 2017 to 45% in 2018.

Funding applications with female talent attached have increased also significantly, with applications received with female directors attached up from 15% to 31%

Focusing on the Future — Driving a Positive Change Agenda in 2019

Linking funding with a positive change agenda

Linking funding decisions to greater gender equality is already paying dividends and provides a positive model to replicate in other areas of strategic importance to the industry. In order to incentivise and reward positive change and support the industry in a continued and sustained era of growth, it is the intention of Screen Ireland to develop funding criteria for productions based on the following guiding principles; equality, diversity and inclusion, career & skills development, dignity in the workplace, and climate and sustainability.

Focusing on the funding of indigenous Irish drama

As was verified in the Olsberg SPI Report, Irish TV Drama has been underfunded historically and, given its considerable potential at home and abroad, Screen Ireland is planning to allocate enhanced funding and resources to TV drama production in the coming year. Enhanced funding will also be allocated to the Irish animation sector, delivering 6 million in funding over the next three years.

Increased Production Activity Building capacity to meet demand

In order to ensure that the industry is best-positioned to fulfil its full potential, further capacity is required – both from a talent and infrastructure perspective – and this will continue to be an area of focus for Screen Ireland. International interest in Ireland as a location is at an all time high, and it is imperative that we increase our talent pool and studio production space to fully realise the potential for both inward production and indigenous production. To this end, Screen Skills Ireland is working with regional stakeholders in Limerick, Galway, Cork and Kilkenny to develop a greater regional balance in film and animation skills across the country.

New productions coming to screens in 2019

In our slate of productions being launched today, Irish Film 2019, we are proud to reveal the details of a diverse range of Screen Ireland supported productions, including 20 feature films, 6 animations, 17 documentaries. They are already being well received on the global stage — with six films at the Sundance Film Festival including The Hole in the Ground directed by Lee Cronin starring Seána Kerslake, two at Berlinale (Shooting the Mafia and A Dog Called Money) and Irish audiences can look forward to them coming to their screens this year. Female talent is well-represented in the 2019 slate, with some of the major forthcoming features directed by women including Sea Fever, the highly anticipated debut from acclaimed director Neasa Hardiman and the Emer Reynolds-helmed documentary Songs for While I’m Away, exploring the life of the legendary Irish rockstar, Phil Lynott. On the animation front, audiences can look forward to the Kavaleer-produced Alva & the Trolls, directed by Jenny O’Brien.

Dr. Annie Doona, Chair, Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland said “The great success story of 2018 was the breakthrough of Irish creative female filmmaking talent on the international stage and the robust and positive changes we are witnessing in relation to gender equality are providing a springboard to drive change in other key areas. Diversity, training, dignity in the workplace and climate sustainability are forefront on Screen Ireland’s agenda for 2019. These are areas in which we will require productions to meet essential criteria to build a truly sustainable and inclusive industry.

“The rebrand into Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland is central to solidifying these changes and we remain committed to providing leadership for the Irish screen industries as we move into a new era of growth and opportunity.”

Dr. Doona also paid tribute to James Hickey, who is due to conclude his term as Chief Executive in 2019; “James has been an incredibly committed Chief Executive during his time at Screen Ireland and has dedicated his entire career to the film and television industry. He will be missed, and we wish him well in his future endeavours.”

Chief Executive of Fís Éireann/ Screen Ireland, James Hickey, said; “2018 was a galvanising year for Irish film and screen content production. We saw real progress being made in our efforts to grow the strength and depth of the sector, creatively and economically. 2019 is already off to a fantastic start with Irish projects embraced by Sundance, the Berlinale and SXSW. The coming year will present a diverse slate of new Irish films from new and established talent that is sure to delight, entertain and touch audiences both at home and abroad.”

“It has been an honour and a privilege for me to serve Ireland’s film, TV and animation community since 2011. The intrinsic value of Irish storytelling on screen, to Irish culture, wellbeing, heritage and indeed the economy, can sometimes be underestimated but it is perhaps the most immediately evocative and transformative art form,” he said.

Screen Skills Ireland’s Year in Review brochure is also available from today.

Creative talent in attendance are:

Lee Cronin, Screenwriter and Director,Hole in the Ground

Neasa Hardiman, Screenwriter and Director,Sea Fever

Séana Kerslake, Actress, TheHole in the Ground

Louise Bagnall, Director of Oscar longlistedLate Afternoon

Emer Reynolds, Emmy Winner,The Farthest

Gary Timpson, Animation Producer,Boy Girl Dog Cat Mouse Cheese

Ed Guiney, Producer,The Favourite

Other Key Highlights 2018

Lance Daly’s Black ’47 became the biggest Irish film of the year and grossed over €1.8 million at the all-Ireland box-office

The Favourite experiencing immense success and showcases the importance of development funding

The animation sector is booming with 26 animation studios now operating in Ireland.

Animated TV seriesKiva Can Do produced by Kavaleer has sold to over 140 territories world wide

Angela’s Christmas has become a Christmas favourite on Netflix and has resonated with audiences all over the world

2018 has been an incredible successful year to date, with Ireland welcoming a large number of major international productions such asVikings (MGM Television, World 2000), Into the Badlands (AMC, Metropolitan Film Productions),Nightflyers (Netflix, NBC Universal, Wild Atlantic Pictures) andQuantico (ABC, Fastnet Films)

According to the Olsberg SPI Report, Ireland’s film, television and animation sector currently supports nearly 12,000 full-time jobs equivalents, with a Gross Value Added for the audiovisual and radio sector of €1.1 billion to the economy

Screen Ireland launched a number of inaugural schemes including POV, New Writing Scheme and Cine4

Fís Éireann Screen Ireland – a redefined and renewed remit

In June 2018, the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht announced the rebrand of Bord Scannán na hÉireann/ Irish Film Board to Fís Éireann/ Screen Ireland. More than just a name change, this development is reflective of an expanding and growing remit for the agency, encompassing feature films, animations and TV drama – as well as the changing nature of how audiences engage with this content.

Screen Ireland is responsible for funding and promoting Irish film, TV and animation internationally, for skills development, and for promoting Ireland as a film location.

Supporting and promoting Irish creative talent and Irish stories remain at the heart of Screen Ireland but its broadened remit better positions the agency to support the audio-visual industry as it continues to diversify both in terms of content and audience consumption platforms.